Limit trick-or-treating to your neighborhood and the homes of people you know.

When kids get home:

Help them check all treats to make sure they're sealed. Throw out candy with torn packages or holes in the packages, spoiled items, and any homemade treats that weren't made by someone you know.

Don't let young children have hard candy or gum that could cause choking.

Keep Visiting Ghouls Safe Too!

Make sure trick-or-treaters are safe when visiting your home too. Remove anything that could cause them to trip or fall on your walkway or lawn. Make sure the lights are on outside your house and light the walkway to your door, if possible. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters, even if they seem harmless to you.

Halloween Goodies — What You Give Out and What Kids Get

Make Halloween fun for all — including kids with food allergies. Consider buying Halloween treats other than candy. Stickers, erasers, crayons, pencils, coloring books, and sealed packages of raisins and dried fruits are good choices.

As you inspect what your kids brought home, keep track of how much candy they got and store it somewhere other than their bedrooms. Consider being somewhat lenient about candy eating on Halloween, within reason, and talk about how the rest of the candy will be handled. Let kids have one or two treats a day instead of leaving candy out in big bags or bowls for kids to eat at will.